Mystery Thy Name Is Witchcraft
by TheAuthor1996
Summary: The 19th Century brings a nervous Lord Byron to the steps of Two Hundred And Twenty One B Baker Street. Begging for the famed Doctor and Detective's help to find the answer to an illness that has every expert confused. Sherlock Holmes will become just as baffled. Could witchcraft be the cause as well as the cure?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: It's Witchcraft, Watson!**

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Lord Byron was a man who's fortune had come from his family line; He was a close associate of the royal family and also close friends with one, Mycroft Holmes.

* * *

However, the last few months had brought upon negative events to Lord Byron's life leading to his friend, Mycroft suggesting that he make a visit to two hundred and twenty one B Baker Street.

* * *

Lord Byron sat firmly but could not help but twiddle his thumbs in a nervous manner as he sat before the famed doctor and detective,

"I must admit, Mr Holmes... I would not be here if it weren't for your brother insisting that you were my only hope" Lord Byron said but the detective's firm expression had not changed since the lord sat down,

"You will find that my brother would have had you visit me even if I were not your only hope. He is exceedingly ignorant as he is annoying" the detective said, retrieving his pipe, filling it with a helpful sprinkle of tobacco before sparking it to life with a watch as he placed the spout to his lips and watched as the Lord nodded,

"I... My family has owned a rather large estate for the past 10 generations but... Current days have brought upon a dark storm over my village residents" the lord explained and Doctor Watson looked curious,

"I trust you mean 'dark storm' in a dramatic sense of description, Lord Byron" he said and the lord nodded before looking back at Sherlock,

"My residents have been inflicted with a deadly plague. None of which the physicians I have contacted can understand, nor find the cause or cure" he said nervously,

"Though plagued with this deadly ill, they are also plagued with fear. Fear of the paranormal it seems. This is why I have come for your help, Mr Holmes" the lord begged,

"I am not a superstitious man but If you can discover the cause of what is ailing my residents then I shall be eternally in your debt" he said and Doctor Watson looked at his friend,

"What do you think, Holmes?" he asked as the detective smoked his pipe before breathing out a waft of steam,

"Dying residents, a town in terror" he said taking another breath of his pipe,

"It's incredibly brilliant" he said with a smirk and the lord looked mortified causing Doctor Watson to look apologetically,

"He means the level of challenge your case presents" he provided gently and the lord looked hopeful,

"So... You accept?" he asked and Sherlock stood firm,

"Rest assured, Lord Byron you may return home with the comforting knowledge that myself and Doctor Watson shall be on the first train tomorrow morning" he assured before opening the door for him and the lord smiled and shook Doctor Watson and Sherlock's hand,

"Thank you. Bless you both" he said before leaving quickly and John looked at his friend,

"Theories?" he asked and the detective took another breath of his pipe,

"Many" he answered,

"Pack your bags, Watson. We're off to Avondeer at first light" he announced before heading to his bed chamber to pack his own bag.

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 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Mystery Worth Solving**

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It was no surprise to Doctor Watson that Sherlock stayed silent for most of the train journey, Vibration and movement brought the detective a sense of tranquillity and the doctor had no doubt that the country air of Avondeer would do his friend's health a lot of good; Doctor Watson was also thankful that the case presented an incalculable amount of days in which Sherlock Holmes would have to brave a case without the assistance of tobacco, morphine or cocaine.

* * *

Lord Byron met Sherlock and Molly at the Avondeer train station and shook their hands in greeting,

"Mr Holmes, Doctor Watson. Welcome to Avondeer. My coach is ready and waiting to escort us to my country manor" he explained politely and John nodded in thanks but Sherlock looked around as his deerstalker sat upon his head,

"That will not be necessary. The good doctor and myself shall be obtaining rooms at the local inn" he explained causing John to look just as confused as Lord Byron as this sudden piece of new information,

"Very well, Mr Holmes... I shall have my coach take you there." he said before handing him an piece of paper baring his seal,

"Hand this in at the front desk and their shall be no charge for either of your rooms" he said but Sherlock simply moved past him causing John to look at the lord apologetically as he accepted the document before following Sherlock.

* * *

Sherlock entered the inn and John raised his eyes to the heavens when the detective made no move to ring the bell that rested on the desk so stepped forward and performed the action himself,

"Just a moment" A female voice called from the back room before emerging and offered a kind smile,

"Good evening, gentlemen. How can I help you today?" the young lady asked gently and John tipped his hat in greeting,

"Good evening, Miss. Is your husband at home?" he asked and the lady shook her head,

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm unmarried" she explained rather awkwardly,

"Oh... I see. Then perhaps your father?" he pressed and the detective standing behind him raised his eyes to the heavens,

"For goodness sake, Watson. Show some respect, I'm sure this lady is more than capable of assisting us just as any man is" he said taking a step forward and the lady smiled softly as she looked down rather bashfully,

"You're right, Holmes" he admitted before looking at the lady with guilt,

"My apologies, Miss?" he pressed gently and she smiled,

"Hooper. Molly Hooper" she answered gently before smiling at gentlemen brightly,

"Holmes and Watson. You're not the famed detective's of Baker Street, are you?" she asked excitedly and John chuckled as Sherlock offered a half smile,

"I being the detective and him being the doctor but your assumption is correct, Miss Hooper" he informed causing her to smile brightly,

"Oh, I hope you both do not mind me saying but you are both heroes of mine. I have every copy of your adventures in the strand. I love mysteries" she said and John looked surprised,

"You can read?" he asked causing Sherlock to close his eyes in a unimpressed manner,

"Watson, it would serve you well to keep your mouth shut when it comes to such matters involving equality" he said causing the doctor to look down, guiltily and Molly couldn't help but giggle and watched as John handed Sherlock the piece of paper baring Lord Byron's seal and Molly looked confused as the detective tore it up and the doctor looked just as confused as his friend tossed the useless parchment into a nearby waste bin,

"I am a man of honour and I pay own way throughout life" he said simply, looking at John before stepping up to the desk and handed Molly's some money before she handed over a room key and John coughed and Sherlock looked at the doctor, unimpressed,

"Have you been gambling again, Watson?" he asked only receiving a bashful expression in return and the detective sighed before retrieving some more money from his pocket,

"A second room for the good doctor whom shall be paying me back this time, Miss Hooper" he requested causing Molly to giggle as she accepted the money and retrieved a second key and handed it to John whom tipped his hat once more in thanks and Molly smiled gently at Sherlock whom nodded his head in thanks before they both headed up the stairs and the doctor gave an amused smirk,

"Miss Hooper seemed to develop an admiring twinkle in her eyes for you, my friend" he said and Sherlock didn't look at him,

"We are here on business, Watson. Try to maintain a professional manner instead of observing matters of a romantic nature instead of medical" he said causing the doctor to chuckle as they separated, going into their own room.

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 **Awwwwwww how cute! Molly's developed a little crush on Sherlock. Will she help him and John in their investigation? you'll have to review to find out! Please let me know what you think of the story so far as this is my first story set in the 19th century.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Matters Of Opinion**

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Sherlock and John made their way to the village town hall that had been converted into an area of comfort in which the ailing were taken so that they could rest but also lessen the risk of the ailment spreading even if it did no good.

* * *

John approached one of the camp beds on which laid a young girl, no older than five,

"What are her symptoms?" John asked the girls' mother as he used his thumb to gently lift the girl's closed eye lid that was too weak to stay open,

"Her skin continues to become paler every day. She's took weak to stand or talk and she's running a fever. This is the devil's followers at work I tell you" she proclaimed, making the sign of the cross and Sherlock looked around in disgust at the sight of so much suffering,

"Do you have any theories, Mr Holmes?" a voice asked gently causing his gaze to turn to find Molly standing by his side,

"Miss Hooper, You should not be here. You may fall ill" he said in concern and she offered a sad smile,

"Everyone in the village is getting sick, Mr Holmes" she said simply and looked down,

"I wish to help you and doctor Watson" she said gently and Sherlock held an expression of doubt,

"I do not think that is a good idea" he said and Molly looked at him earnestly,

"Please, Mr Holmes... My father was one of the first that this illness claimed. I feel that if I assist with finding a cure then I would be honouring his memory" she said and Sherlock looked thoughtful for a moment,

"Do you believe it to be witchcraft?" he asked only for the woman John had been speaking too, stood and spat on the floor before Molly causing her to step back and Sherlock instantly held up a protective arm before her as the woman stalked forward,

"It was her father that is the cause of all this. He brought this curse upon us!" the lady yelled and Molly looked awful as multiple voices agreed with the woman's harsh words,

"Please, I swear my father had nothing to do with this and nor did I" she tried,

"Ha! Your father and his Wiccan potions promising health did nothing but doom us all" she yelled as others began to throw profanity in Molly's direction causing her to turn and flee and Sherlock looked at John,

"Stay here. Tend to the ill" he instructed the doctor who nodded before the detective followed after Molly.

* * *

Sherlock found her hiding behind the inn desk, sitting on the floor with her legs pulled close to her chest as she hugged them,

"Miss Hooper?" he said gently causing her to look up and she wiped away tears that had escaped,

"Mr Holmes... My father had nothing to do with this. He was a doctor who studied in the theory of herbal medicine" she explained and Sherlock offered his hand to her which she hesitantly took and stood and Sherlock looked at her reassuringly,

"I believe you, Miss Hooper" he told her causing her to look at him surprised,

"You do?" she asked and he nodded, handing her a handkerchief to dry her eyes,

"Indeed I do and I would greatly appreciate you assistance in this case" he informed her and she nodded gently causing him to offer her a half smile.

* * *

Sherlock rose the next morning and proceeded to exit his room and knocked on John's door,

"Watson?... Rise and shine good doctor, the sun has risen and so must you" he called and frowned when he received no response and knocked again,

"Watson?" he called and felt a feeling of panic rise within him and began hammering his shoulder against the door in an attempt to get it open and the noise caused Molly to run upstairs,

"Mr Holmes, what on earth are you doing?" she demanded but he didn't answer as he stepped away from the door before kicking it open and Molly looked horrified,

"I could have just used the spare key" she expressed but Sherlock moved quickly into the room and towards the bed on which John laid and Molly gasped in horror,

"Oh no... Just like the others" she murmured seeing the symptoms of the illness and Sherlock looked at her firmly,

"What other's?" he demanded and she looked confused,

"I'm sorry, Mr Holmes. You being in the employment of Lord Byron I thought he would have informed you... Every doctor he had brought here in hopes of finding a cause and cure of the illness... They all became ill" she explained and Sherlock felt his teeth clench as he stormed out the room,

"Stay with him" he ordered.

* * *

Sherlock stormed into Lord Byron's office followed by a panicking butler,

"I'm sorry, sir. The gentleman wouldn't take no for an answer" the butler explained and Lord Byron stood and looked at the butler reassuring,

"It's quite alright. I'm sure there's an explanation" he said and the butler nodded before leaving and Lord Byron looked at Sherlock,

"Mr Holmes" he greeted but the detective simply glared,

"Doctor Watson has fallen prey to your town's illness" he told the lord firmly who looked down and sighed,

"I am sorry... I hoped it would not happen so soon" he said,

"Why did you not inform me of the fact that all doctor's you have contacted fell ill when arriving here?" he demanded and Lord Byron sighed,

"I feared that you and Doctor Watson would not have come if I had not... The town has been demanding that I burn the inn keeper at the stake in hopes that it may banish the illness but I could never do such a thing. Her father was a great friend to me and helped my wife during her pregnancy" he explained and sighed,

"Your best option is to send the doctor back to London before his symptoms grow worse" Lord Byron said and Sherlock held his head high,

"I cannot take the chance that his health might grow worse during the journey back. There is also the fact that this place may hold the only cure" the detective said and Lord Byron nodded in understanding but watched as Sherlock looked at him warningly,

"You best hope that my friend does not die or you shall wish that you never came to Baker Street" the detective warned before stalking away and Lord Byron sighed.

* * *

Molly tended to John's fever for the next few days whilst Sherlock examined samples of water from the village's well, Samples of food provided by the farm's life stock and samples of the local vegetation but all experiments came to a dead end,

"Are you ok?" Molly asked gently and Sherlock sighed,

"What am I to do when my mind fails me?" he asked hopelessly and Molly came to his side and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder,

"That's your fear talking. Fear for your friend's life. If anyone can discover what's going on then it is you, Mr Holmes" she assured gently and he nodded his head in thanks, All the detective could do at that moment was hope that Miss Hooper was right.

* * *

 **I need reviews! They help me figure out if people are enjoying the plot or not, Help me out and let me know :)**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Accusations**

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Sherlock was in fear as his hope continued to deteriorate as John's health did the same but his fear soon vanished and became surprised as John walked into his room looking much better,

"Watson?... How is this possible?" he demanded and John put a hand to his head,

"I have no idea but whatever you gave me sure did the trick" he mumbled tiredly as Sherlock shook his friend's hand, happy to see that his health had returned.

* * *

However, The residents were not happy to see the doctor's miraculous recovery,

"They stay in the witch's inn and only within a few days does a miraculous recovery shine on Doctor Watson" one woman shouted,

"We should have burned her at the stake the first day this illness plagued our village" another man shouted as the lady whom had accused Molly of witchcraft only days before stepped up onto the village fountain's ledge,

"I say we seal her inside her family's devil inn and burn it down! Let the flames carry her back to hell where she belongs!" she yelled earning cheers of agreement,

"Over my dead body" a voice said firmly causing the crowd to turn to see a very angry looking Sherlock standing there,

"Miss Hooper is under my protection. Fear or no fear, there is no excuse for murder" he said firmly,

"This is not murder. This is justice!" the lady yelled and Sherlock stalked forward,

"This is one war you do not wish to start" he warned,

"I offer you all a deal" he announced,

"Give me 24 hours and if I do not solve the cause of this ailment or find the cure then... I shall take Miss Hooper away with myself and Doctor Watson away to London" he said and the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves and the lady standing on the fountain folded her arms,

"Very well, You have 24 hours but if you don't succeed then we expect you to take that witch away as soon as possible or we will deal with her ourselves" she warned earning another yell of agreement from the crowd and Sherlock stormed away.

* * *

Sherlock paced back and forth in his room,

"I am telling you, Sherlock non of these symptoms I've scene makes any sense. I've never seen an illness like it" John said and Sherlock frowned,

"There must be something" he murmured before looking at Molly,

"There must be something that those suffering from the ailment have in common. Do you have any thoughts, Miss Hooper?" he asked and watched her sigh,

"I have no idea, my father was the physician not me" she murmured sadly and suddenly Sherlock's expression fell and Molly looked curious,

"What is it?" she asked and John gave a smile,

"He's solved the case" he said simply and Molly looked stunned,

"What?" she demanded and the detective gave a smirk,

"Perhaps you might join us for afternoon tea at Lord Byron's manor, Miss Hooper?" he asked offering her his arm which she accepted curiously as she stood,

"What's going on?" she asked and Sherlock smiled,

"I'll explain on the way" he assured.

Lord Byron gave a welcoming bow as Sherlock entered along with Molly and John; Molly curtsied whereas John and Sherlock bowed their heads in return,

"Welcome, I was not expecting you" he said and Sherlock smiled,

"We thought it best to come straight here and giving the trials, Miss Hooper has suffered due to this case, I thought it fit that she join us" he explained to which Lord Byron nodded,

"I see and what does bring you all here?" he asked and Sherlock held his head high,

"I have solved the case" he announced causing Lord Byron to look stunned,

"You... You have?" he asked to which Doctor Watson nodded,

"Yes, and soon we shall have the cure" he provided and the Lord gestured behind him,

"Then let us head into the dining room for some afternoon tea to celebrate" he announced and they nodded before following after him.

* * *

The butler served them tea before heading to the kitchen to retrieve some food,

"So what was the cause of the illness?" Lord Byron asked earnestly and Sherlock smiled,

"You might want to ask that question to, Miss Hooper" he said causing Lord Byron to look towards Molly curiously whom smiled and stood,

"It was quite simple really." she said before moving forward and poured Lord Byron's tea to which he thanked

before taking a sip,

"Please, do tell" he pressed and Molly smiled before pouring John and Sherlock some tea and they thanked her before taking a grateful sip,

"Well, all I needed to do was add a simple herb to the to the village's food and water and it caused their health to deteriorate" she said simply with a giggle and John suddenly put a hand to his throat and began coughing and Sherlock soon did the same and Molly giggled,

"That took effect much faster than I thought" she said and Lord Byron began to cough,

"Impossible" he spoke in a scratchy tone as he fell forward weakly and Molly giggled,

"Now I can take over Avondeer once, you're out the way. Mr Holmes and Doctor Watson were simply collateral damage, as were the other doctor's you summoned" she said and Lord Byron pushed himself off his chair weakly and quickly stumbled towards the dining room fireplace,

"Not... If I can held it" he murmured weakly and grabbed a box off the mantle piece, opening it to retrieve a vial only for Doctor Watson to grab it,

"Just as you thought, Sherlock" the doctor announced and Sherlock stood with a smirk and Lord Byron looked confused,

"But... But we..." he faltered and Molly smiled,

"You were never ill. The placebo effect, making one feel something that isn't really there" she explained and Sherlock glared at the lord,

"There never was any witchcraft, there was only you. You poisoned the people using the studies of Molly's father turning his medicine into poison" Sherlock growled,

"You told me that Molly's father assisted your wife during her pregnancy but the truth was that she was never pregnant... The truth was that your wife fell in love with Molly's father and when she honourably requested a divorce from you; You became mad with jealousy and stole one of Mr Hooper's notebooks and developed one of his remedies into a poison before slipping it into his tea making him the first victim of the illness" he growled and lord Byron glared at Sherlock,

"Preposterous!" he yelled,

"Why would I have come to your help if I had caused this plague?" he demanded and Sherlock folded his arms,

"Because your people gave you no choice. They begged for your help and it would have looked suspicious if you had refused so every doctor you summoned you had to poison in case they found a cure and they fled in fear thinking the cause was witchcraft" he said and Lord Byron chuckled,

"Nonsense, Doctor Watson fell ill and he recovered" he argued,

"Yes, because revenge on Molly's father was never enough. Molly was too much of a reminder so you decided to make her suffer in life once ending her father's by making her look like a witch" he said,

"You knew that when forming a friendship with us it would look as if she chose to cure the doctor knowing the villages would burn her for witchcraft, the doctor's health restoration being the final straw" he growled stalking forward in anger but Molly stopped him,

"No, Sherlock... He's not worth it" she told him gently before retrieving the vial from John,

"I'll take the cure to the people" she said and Sherlock nodded,

"John, go with her" he said firmly and the doctor nodded before following Molly and Sherlock glared at Lord Byron,

"I already sent for the authorities before travelling here" he said and Lord Byron smirked,

"It will never stand up in court. That witch and her father got what they deserved and besides your brother was the one suggested that I come for you too help, it won't look very condemning that I was 'So eager to help my residents'" he said sarcastically and Sherlock gritted his teeth.

* * *

John assisted Molly into the carriage,

"Will he be ok?" Molly asked John and the doctor smirked amused,

"And three, two... one" he counted before Lord Byron came flying out the second floor window and Molly looked stunned,

"Yeah... Yeah he'll be fine" he said before knocking the roof of the carriage causing the driver to drive off.

Lord Byron was taken away by the police and once explained to the Avondeer residents, they all heart-fully apologised to Molly whom sighed,

"I am really grateful of your apology but... I can't stay here" she murmured causing Sherlock to look in her direction hopefully,

"My father always told me that home is were the heart is and... I don't think my heart has been here for a long time" she said sadly before looking towards Sherlock and smiled softly,

"But... Recently I discovered that My heart... May be travelling to London very soon" she said gently and John smiled as Sherlock took a step towards her,

"I think it best that I follow my heart" she said and the detective smiled before holding out his hand to her and she took it gently before hugging him tightly and Sherlock placed a gentle hand to the back of her head as he held her close and the crowd smiled before offering an applause which John soon joined.

* * *

 **Who wants to see Molly and Sherlock get married? You'll have to review!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: One True Vow**

* * *

It was two years later that found John's wife of 3 months, Mary comforting Molly as she paced back and forth in her wedding dress within the church's bridal chamber,

"Where is he Mary?" she asked nervously,

"He's going to put the wedding on hold again isn't he?" she asked panicking and Mary giggled,

"For a third time, I don't even think Sherlock Holmes would do something so cruel" she said before smiling gently,

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's on his way" she said and Molly nodded gently as she went back to pacing,

"I hope" Mary finished quietly.

* * *

Meanwhile a police carriage was racing down the street and Sherlock Holmes knocked on the roof,

"Stop here" he ordered causing Lestrade to look mortified,

"We're in the middle of a police chase, Holmes" he reminded firmly as the detective fixed his bow tie and smirked,

"It's also my wedding day" he said before jumping out the carriage as it came to a stop,

"Watson!" he called and the doctor smiled at Lestrade apologetically before following after his friend.

* * *

John rushed over to the organ player,

"We need you to speed up the bridal march" he said and the organ player nodded in understanding and Mary looked very unimpressed as she assisted Molly up the isle very quickly,

"Typical, Sherlock Holmes" she growled quietly but Molly smiled softly,

"Yeah, Typical Sherlock Holmes" she repeated as she stood beside him and the priest began to welcome the guests but Sherlock fidgeted anxiously and leant forward,

"Forgive me father but can me get right too it?" he asked and the priest looked towards Molly unsure and she nodded gently with a smile,

"For better of for worse" she teased earning a chuckle from the priest,

"I must ask the persons here present if anyone has any objections to this union to speak now or forever hold their peace" he announced and Sherlock seemed to be bouncing slightly in anticipation,

"No one objects. Moving swiftly on" he said and Molly giggled and the priest nodded,

"Yes... Errrrm... Do you Molly Abigale Jane Hooper take William Sherlock Scot Holmes as your lawful wedded husband?" he asked and Molly nodded with a smile,

"I do" she said and the priest looked towards Sherlock,

"And do you William Sherlock..." he tried,

"Yes of course I do. I asked her to marry me didn't I?" he demanded sarcastically causing the guests, Molly and the priest to chuckle,

"Indeed, Mr Holmes. This being the case, By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife" he said and Sherlock instantly ran off down the isle and Doctor Watson rolled his eyes,

"Sherlock!" he called,

"Time is of the essence, Watson" he called back and Molly smiled with a giggle,

"It's alright, John. Go" she told him gently and he nodded before following after the detective,

"But what of your first kiss as Husband and wife, Mrs Holmes?" he asked stunned and Molly smiled gently,

"I have the rest of my life with him, father... I'm not worried" she told him gently.

* * *

 **Only Molly could put up with Sherlock rushing their wedding so he could get back to solving a case, without getting angry. lol. I hope you enjoyed 'Mystery Thy Name Is Witchcraft'**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


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